Friday, September 28, 2007

IT

Last night I finished rereading Stephen King's "IT", which I consider the best book he's written. It was also the first book I ever read by him, all those 16 years ago. I love rereading good books; it's like visiting old friends. The characters in this book are so real, so vivid. I can't even say which one is my favorite, because I like them all. I love the way, in the last part, he switches between 1958 and 1985, right in the middle of a sentence. It produces such an air of confusion, really makes you feel what those poor characters in the book were feeling. I wonder if Mike being a librarian influenced me when I was a teenager first reading this book.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Sense and Sensibility

Yesterday I finished reading Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility". It wasn't bad; typical Austen humor and happy ending. It's the story of two sisters who each fall for a man who turns out to be toying with them because they are both promised to other women. Of course in the end everyone ends up with the men they are supposed to be with and all is well. It wasn't as good as "Pride and Prejudice", but maybe that's just because I love the movie so much.
On a totally unrelated note, today is the anniversary of William Faulkner's birthday. He was born on September 25, 1897.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Finn

Last night I finished reading "Finn" by Jon Clinch. When you had to read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain in high school or college, did you ever wonder about why Huck's father was such a jerk? No? Me neither, but apparently Jon Clinch did, and wrote a whole book on him. It was actually really great, and if you've read "Huck Finn" and "Tom Sawyer" it tied in so neatly with the plots from those books that there were moments when I actually said "Aha!" out loud. Very skillfully done, and quite an interesting take on one of America's most beloved and written about literary characters. Even the great William Faulkner took on Huck Finn in his last novel "The Reivers", which is very similar in theme. Anyway, this was a much needed break from nonfiction and a good read.

Friday, September 21, 2007

The Call of the Mall

Yesterday I finished reading Paco Underhill's "The Call of the Mall". This was one of the best nonfiction books I have read in a long time! He was informative and entertaining. It was a great look at how and why we shop, and it's amazing how much thought and planning goes into little things, like where the makeup counter is located in a department store. He highlights plenty of things he feels malls could do better, and takes us on a tour of some malls around the world. What I really liked was in Japan, they provide sinks outside of the restrooms in the food court areas, so people who just want to wash their hands before they eat don't have to crowd up the bathroom. What a fabulous idea! I will never look at shopping or malls the same way again.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Readings on William Faulkner

Last night I finished reading "Readings on William Faulkner", part of the Greenhaven Press Literary series on American authors. Different writers and critics contributed articles on Faulkner's work. I'm a huge Faulkner fan, so I'll read anything about him and his work. This was a great collection. There was even one critic who had a sympathetic view of Jason Compson from "The Sound and the Fury". I thought I was the only one in the whole world who liked Jason! All the other critics I've read and teachers I've had who have discussed this book have characterized Jason as the villain of the book. (I believe the real villain, if there is one, is Mrs. Compson--look what she did to her kids!) The only bad thing about reading something like this is now I want to go back and reread all of Faulkner's books, and I just don't have time right now. Ah, well, later.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Putin's Russia

So this morning I finished reading "Putin's Russia" by Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian journalist who was brutally gunned down in her apartment building elevator last October. Critics of Russian President Vladmir Putin believe he either ordered the hit because of her highly critical work on his lack of ethics, or that someone close to him did it as a present for the president, since she was murdered on his birthday. Either way, it was a very haunting book, like hearing her crying out from the grave. The tales of mass and rampant corruption in every system, murder, blatant injustice...very scary stuff indeed. It makes me grateful to be in America, where journalists and everyone else can be openly critical of leaders and not live in fear of being executed.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Introduction--Little People, Big Values

This is actually not my first blog: I had to set one up last spring for a class I took on web design. I think blogging is fun, even if nobody reads it. I've decided I will use my blog to discuss books I've read and liked (and boy, are there a lot of them!). This morning I read "Little People, Big Values" by the Roloff family. If you've ever seen them on TLC, you know they are the family of mixed average/little people: the parents and one of the four children are little people, the other three kids are average size. It was a nice little book (170 pages, I think) detailing why they believe in 11 core family values and how their beliefs have helped shape the success of their family. It was uplifting, and reminded me how lucky I am to be healthy and happy, and not to take things like that for granted. I think everyone needs a reminder now and again.